Broadband Internet Access to be the topic in the next O.P.E.N forum, February 8

Expanding Internet broadband service to rural and unserved areas of the state will be the focus of an “O.P.E.N. Discussion” to be held on Thursday, February 8 in the Pegram Community Center. The event is free and open to all members of the public. The forum will open at 6:30 pm and the program will begin at 7:00 pm.

Panelists are expected to include State Rep. John Ray Clemmons, Cheatham County Librarian May Lingner, and other experts and local residents who have confronted or experienced the issue of broadband service for all. Organizers of the forum hope and expect that members of the audience will share their experiences and opinions, as well as suggestions for bringing this issue to the fore and achieving concrete results.

This public forum will be the second in what is hoped will be a series of O.P.E.N. discussions (Organization, Presentation, Evaluation, Navigation) organized by the Cheatham County Democratic Party and conducted on a non-partisan basis for the benefit of all county residents.

“These issues that impact the daily lives of ordinary people are especially suited to a search for common understanding and non-partisan solutions,” said Michael Lottman, chair of the Cheatham County Democrats. “The broadband Internet expansion issue affects people of all parties and persuasions who live in certain areas, and some measure of support has already been expressed by Governor Haslam, a wide majority of the state legislature, congressional leaders of both parties, and even President Trump when he visited Nashville in early January. The question remaining, though, is what exactly needs to be done and how and when is it going to happen.”

Doors for the February 8 forum will open at 6:30 p.m.at the Center (located by the Little Red Caboose at Highway 70 and Thompson Road), and the program will begin at 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided at no cost. For further information, please contact Michael Lottman at lottmanhouse@aol.com, or call (615) 714-2702